On the advice of a good friend, this spy travelled to St. Michaels early on Sunday morning to board the Patriot at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. My mission was to observe and photograph the log canoe race held on the Miles River.
Because the agency is committed to monitoring everything that goes on in St. Michaels, I considered my trip to be an agency mission. The mission was a success.
Pictures often provide more intelligence than written reports, even when written by the best spies working for the agency. That is the case here. My photographs give an accurate record of what transpired at Miles on the morning of June 29th.
If asked, and to date I haven’t been asked, to provide a one-word assessment of what I witnessed, my response would be “beauty.” (Yes, I know, that word does not often appear in this spy’s reports.)
Without further description, here is a sampling of the photos I captured last Sunday morning:
Note that the log canoes are not all the same size. The difference in boat size is factored into determining the winner of the race. The larger log canoes, because they travel faster than the smaller ones, are awarded “time” based on their size. Thus, even though a large log canoe may cross the finish line first, it may not win the race.
Yes, I know it’s a bit complicated, but accuracy in our assessment of the outcome requires us to understand, at least superficially, the rules of the race.
This small log canoe necessitated careful coordination of the crew to avoid an unscheduled swim in the Miles.
This spy wishes he were a sailor, but he’s not—difficulty in determining which boat was doing what was experienced.
Observing the log canoe race was most enjoyable. I am available for future races.
One last photograph. I took over 200 . . .
Additional log canoe races are scheduled for July 27 and 28, and Sept. 7, 8, 14, and 15. Information on the races, the Patriot, and the opportunity to purchase tickets can be found at: https://cbmm.org/resources_tags/log-canoe-races/.
